Several people were a bit scathing at our attendance
of these awards and we don’t understand why. We see it as a chance, not only to
see where the young wines made this year are heading, improving etc., but as an
opportunity to meet some of the young winemakers involved, while they are still
at the beginning of their careers. Not all wine is going to be vintage and some
of these are lovely and fresh and we did taste wines with aging potential. This
was held at Grand West Casino last Friday night – there are not many places in
Cape Town that can do a stand up wine tasting and a sit down dinner for nearly 360 people - and it was quite a
glittering occasion.
All the wines
in the competition are available for tasting on the evening. This competition
is the oldest wine competition in the country and has been taking place for 122
years - it is also the oldest wine show in the world. There is a dazzling array
of silver cups and trophies awarded
Waiting in the
foyer for dinner to begin. Grand West can look quite sophisticated
We take our
seats in the huge banquet hall
Getting to
know our neighbours on our table. The young man on Lynne’s right is Aldert Nieuwoudt, who has just left Montague winery to join Haskell, where
he will work as assistant winemaker under Rianie Strydom
A band played
Lynne meeting
the man on her left. He is Andre Bruwer of Bon Courage in Robertson and was
there to receive two awards with his son, Pieter, who is the financial person
on Bon Courage
Bennie Howard
was Master of Ceremonies for the evening. He is the Vice President of the South
African National Wine Show who hold this competition
The sparkling
array of silverware!
Lynne with Kalinka
Lombard of WineStyle
Kalinka with
Shanté Hutton Editor of Wine.co.za
Back details
on evening wear is the ‘in’ thing this year
The programme
and the menu
First course
was a very good smoked Beef carpaccio served with a coronation sauce and some
rocket. The Poppadum was a bit odd as it didn’t add anything to the dish.
The opening
speech was made by Johan Ehlers of sponsors Agri-Expo
And the award
goes to... Some of these trophies did need three winemakers to carry them. This
is the team from Perdeberg receiving the John McDonald Trophy for their
Sauvignon Blanc
Andre Bruwer
collects a trophy for Bon Courage
The team from
KWV collects a trophy
You might need
more than two hands
The main
course was a beef fillet with spinach and mushroom ragout with a rich
chardonnay cream on rather undercooked potato gratin. Some fillets were nice
and pink and tender, others not so much.
Love’s young
dream
Anel Grobler
and her fiancé Jan Loubser looking very glam. They are soon off to Las Vegas to
get married
Gaaitjie won
AGAIN! Celebrations for Izelle van Blerk, winemaker of the Mentors wines
To see the 2014 SA YOUNG WINE CHAMPION TROPHIES http://www.youngwineshow.co.za/
And I think
...
A lovely
couple - Susan Liebenberg and her husband
Chairperson
Charles Hopkins announces the winner for the General Smuts Trophy which went to Boland Cellars
for their Chenin Blanc
And there were
loud and joyous celebrations and a glitter fall
Table
decorations were the most beautiful King Proteas
A happy quartet
Dessert was a
plate of chocolate desserts. The chocolate tart was good and the pistachio
truffle very rich. Coffee and carriages followed a few dances
